Friday I'm in Love {21} - Pinterest

This Friday has no particular theme, just collections of images and things that I have pinned to my Pinterest Inspiration board. It's just a collection of images that inspire me for some reason; whether they make me want to do something in particular or just invoke my imagination in some way. It's full of images from my favorite artists and photographers.

The first is Blaze Bratcher, one of my favorite bloggers and artists, and she is an absolute sweetheart. If I ever fulfill my dream of being a children's book author, she is the first person I would call to do the artwork for my books. I have several of her prints framed for my daughters room and I still want to commission a work from her just for Kirsten, but I'm waiting for her to get a little older so I can have it be of something she truly loves rather than something I pick for her.

From one of my favorite photographers, Alysia Cotter, her photograph The Pier. I bought one of her photographs, "Crash Into Me", in October, 2007. I love her photos almost dream-like quality.

Friday I'm In Love {19} - German Easter Eggs

Growing up we each had a German Easter Egg in our Easter baskets filled with goodies. I bought two last year for Kirsten's basket, knowing I would eventually need two for two children.

I'm particularly drawn to the vintage style childrens picture ones like these. I bought two similar from Etsy for Easter's at our house.  The paper frill around the inside is a little worse for wear, but I don't mind.

via

These are beautiful, if you just want a few for yourself.

via

Or if you prefer to paint and decorate your own.

via

Giveaway! Photo from Iceland

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his week's Friday I'm In Love is a bit biased, because my sister finally opened an Etsy shop, alfadís photography (rather reopened). I love her photographs, I have a few around my house and I hope you don't mind me sharing them with you. Plus, she's giving away one to a reader, details below!

Woman in the Stone

Women in the Wood

Both of these photos were taken in Iceland on our trip in 2004, and Woman in the Wood is in a frame in my office.  These are both available in her etsy shop. She's also recently started her own blog, so please go over and say hi to her!

My sister has graciously offered to give a reader a 5x7 photo, you can choose one of the three below. So, leave a comment letting me know which you would like and she'll draw the winner next Friday, May 8th at 6pm PST to give people plenty of time to enter.

From left to right: Path I, Path IV, Kannan

Friday I'm in Love {18}

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ne of my favorite things about blogging is the community it builds. I love getting surprise e-mails with a link and a note... "I saw this and thought of you" or "You'd love this" or "I saw this, and had to share it with you." I love these e-mails! First, I get to discover amazing tidbits because of them, and second, it makes me feel blessed to have made such wonderful friends because of my little blog.

My first two tidbits come from just such e-mails. Janet, an author and blogger, found my blog through a local Grand Forks blog, see... community! Anyway, after a bit of emailing she invited me to join the local homemaker's group here in town and we got together for coffee. So, I got to meet a whole group of wonderful women, had a wonderful evening and made a cute baby blanket, all because of a comment I left on a local blog. She sent me the links to first two Etsy sellers sure I would love them and I do, so I'm sharing.

The first is the shop of Jenny Lee Fowler, she creates custom silhouettes and the ones that Janet shared are done on leaves. They are so petite, meticulously crafted and oh, so cute!

Listed Here

An example of her traditional silhouettes, a listing for 2 custom silhouettes mounted separately or together, buyers choice. Listing

The second, The Daily Pincushion, is a shop of nothing but pincushions. Pincushions that make you want to take up sewing just to use them, they are so cute. I'm thinking they wouldn't HAVE to be pincushions would they? Little dolly ottoman, really light paperweight, toy cake?

I just love this soft blue one with yellow flowers. Listing

This one is my favorite though, a green background with pink flowers. Listing

The last shop I want to share, Monkey Always Look, is the featured shop of the day on Etsy. So you can read the interview as well as see her quirky creations. I just love the succulents in vintage china and other household items.

This is my favorite, a gorgeous toile espresso mug potted with living rocks. I love a little toile. Listing

This is the item that caught my eye when I first went to Etsy, the structural modern feeling Zebra plant contrasted with the traditional patina and curves of the silver creamer.  Just gorgeous. Listing

Oh, and you have to go read this post from Janet, sooooo funny. I'd have told you earlier, but well you might forget about the lovely shops she sent to me and get caught up in her archives. So, you've seen the shops, so what are you waiting for, go read that post... hilarious... really. Oh, and this one's cute too, so like me... oh, you're already gone. I should be less demanding maybe.

Kindred - New Site

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always love finding new gems among the many blogs I visit. So, you can imagine my delight when visiting Creature Comforts today and find that she and Holly of Decor8 have teamed up to provide us with gorgeous artist designed wallpapers.  They have created Kindred, a dedicated site for these and other future goodies for free download. Plus, they've started a forum where you can interact with them, the artists and other like minded designers. Of course I've already signed up, you can find me in the forums as Barbara when I start posting.  Let me know if you join as well.

Friday I'm In Love {17}

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or the first day of spring I thought it was apropos to share one of my favorite photographers, Alicia Bock. Her photographs are gorgeous and I love the ethereal quality they have.  She's the type of photographer I aspire to be.  She also has a beautiful blog called Bloom, Grow, Love, swing by and say hi to her and look around a bit.  I love the photograph featured on this post, I have a fondness for Road Less Traveled themes.

from her Botanicals Viewfinder collection

I hope you all have a lovely first day of spring, and live somewhere warmer where you can appreciate some flowers and greenery!

A Short Love Story - Stop Motion

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mashing Magazine, one of my favorite sites for graphic design articles, put together a series of stop motion animation shorts. I absolutely adore this one by Carlos Lascano.

A SHORT LOVE STORY IN STOP MOTION from Carlos Lascano
on Vimeo via Smashing Magazine

Enjoy!

Friday I'm In Love {16}

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'm looking for wedding shower inspiration for a wedding shower I'll be hosting in August. A theme hasn't been decided on with the bride yet, but I'm still looking. You know how I love to host a party! I'm hoping to narrow a few things down soon, like number being invited and a theme, so I can start looking for goodies that will work during the upcoming wedding season.

A few ideas I'm loving:
These cute favor boxes by Martha Stewart
Having a candy bar
Serving a cupcake cake, or I may go with mini cheesecakes since I know the bride is partial to them.
I think these would be pretty over the gift table or the candy bar

Have you seen anything especially unique or exceptionally pretty done lately at bridal showers?

Friday I'm In Love {15}

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o many bloggers down south are starting to share their gardens and their budding flowers and it's making me ache for spring, green and warm days in the garden. I'm dreaming of secret hideaways and garden tea parties...

Secret Gardens

Photo courtesy of Country Living


Photo courtesy of Southern Accents


Photo courtesy Velvet & Linen, an absolutely gorgeous blog

Tea Parties

Photo courtesy of Country Living


Photo courtesy of Coastal Living


Photo courtesy of Country Living


Photo courtesy of Country Living


Photo courtesy of Homes & Gardens

Friday I'm in Love {14}

Clockwise starting in the upper left with the inspiration piece:
Mustard Yellow Vintage Train Case with Black Crow Skeleton Key and Leaf by GetReadySetGO - $55.50
Meeting of Morphans by groovy inclinations - $17.50
Brown Retro Verve Felt Necklace by 3 Fun - $36
Seven Perfect Essential Oils Cuticle Balm and Lip Fixer by Soapalaya Soaps - $4.50
Caribbean Fused Dichroic Glass Pendant by Spare Room Studio - $8
Let's Go Camping Print by Asley G and Drew - $20
Tree of Life Species Phylum Vintage Science Diagram Illustration Graphic T-shirt by isotope - $18
Old Fishing Boat at Sunset Oil Painting by Honey's Colors - $225

Friday I'm In Love {13}

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've been drooling over the gorgeous letterpress in Sarah's Etsy shop, things are better with a parrott, since seeing them mentioned on perfectbound earlier this week.

I'm absolutely loving this letterpress card in particular:

I didn't buy it, but I did pick up this set of 5 Peony Note Cards, so pretty! Not letterpress, but gorgeous nonetheless.

Ez of Creature Comforts recently opened her own Etsy shop, Wren & Chickadee. She always has the most adorable crafts and free bits available, plus her photography is just lovely with an almost ethereal quality to much of it. I'm just loving this "Taste of Summer" print set in her shop.

One last thing that I did get for my niece and nephew in Florida for Valentine's Day are these Dine and Doodle mats from LilBDesigns. They are too young to read my blog so I feel safe posting it. She has so many fabrics to choose from and also has Roll.n.Go Crayon totes. So cute! She posts giveaways she's donated to on her blog.

99 Red Balloons

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h, I so love this photo. I found it while looking for a background for my blog. I had to dig around in Google a bit, and finally found the photographer, Angus Rowe MacPherson. I found the original image at Soundtrack of Lil's Life. The picture is of Mathias Korn of The Burning Hell, and I'm crushing on his voice a bit tonight.

Here's another example from MacPherson's website that I'm absolutely loving. There is quite an extensive portfolio available for perusing, I highly recommend taking a peek.

Also, Blaze posted an amazing video the other day Her Morning Elegance by Oren Lavie. Head on over and check it out. I can't stop watching it!

Friday I'm in Love {12}

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t's been a while since I've done a new Friday feature. There are lots of bits that I've been adoring, just haven't shared them.
Favorite new site find is Polyvore via Holly at Decor8, seriously addicting!:

Raindrops in Tartan by zayabibu

Favorite new blog finds:

Jamie Day Dreams found via Blaze Danielle

Velvet & Linen found via Desire to Inspire

White Season found via Velvet & Linen

dreamhouse found via Velvet & Linen

Friday I'm In Love {10}

I haven't done a Friday I'm In Love feature in a while, I haven't actively looked at Etsy in a month, which is helping the pocketbook! However, Etsy found me anyway and I just LOVE Robin's shop Nothing Like It. I can honestly say I have never seen anything like it.



This giraffe coaster is her latest creation and her first larger sized coaster for people with coffee mugs like mine! Her whimsical style and sense of humor would brighten anyone's morning coffee. This red dog is one of her standard sized coasters and oh so cute. Reminds me of Clifford, The Big Red Dog.



She makes other creations as well such as:
Lowat - the Summer Imp (a posable figure, not a toy)
These adorable veggie magnets (each sold separately)
Flat Magnet Critters (shown next to a standard sized pig coaster)
Custom mugs, like this cute Mad Santa Mug (it's sitting on top of a flat elf coaster, but they are sold separately)

They'll be cute Christmas gifts nestled in baskets with some favorite beverage of choice and a few other goodies.

Edited: Oh, I forgot to mention that Robin has a blog too! Go visit her and say hi and look at all of her whimsical posts, her sense of humor cracks me up!

Friday I'm In Love {11}

I've come across a few new Etsy shops lately that I absolutely love!

Blaze Danielle Stick In The Woods has a lot of watercolor prints that I just love. I've already talked to her about getting an original for the nursery when the time comes. She is very talented and has a lovely blog as well.

Here's a small sampling of her work:


Fifi of Fifi Flowers Designs paints whimisical interpretations of things she finds inspirational. I first saw a bit of her work on A-M's blog, and just loved that rather painting the picture directly she did her own interpretation of it. It's all so fun. Fifi also has a blog, check her out.

Here's a small sampling of her work:

Friday I'm In Love {10}

A quick round up of a few of my current favorites on Etsy.


Details here